Valen

Valen is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series "Babylon 5". Although he has only one scene in the show, he is an important character in the history of the Minbari, and is frequently mentioned. He is most notable for being the subject of a major plot twist in the third season, in which it is revealed that he is actually Jeffrey Sinclair, a major and established character on the show. This revelation resolves Sinclair's major plot arcs, which had been in motion since the pilot of the series.

Character history

Background

Canonically, Valen is an early religious leader of the Minbari. Although he only appears in one scene, as his life predates the time period of the show by a thousand years, he figures prominently in the backstory to the show. A question about his identity and eventual fate form one of the major mysteries of the show, as it is revealed that Jeffrey Sinclair is apparently Valen reincarnated. The reasons for this are explained in the third season, when Sinclair travels back in time and changes species in order to become Valen, explaining the claim that Valen is "a Minbari not born of Minbari".

Appearing in 1260 during the prior Shadow War, in which Vorlons and Minbari joined together against the chaotic race of Shadows, Valen transforms Minbari society. His name is spoken reverently ("In Valen's name" being one of the most popular Minbari expressions) a thousand years later.

During the Minbari's greatest hour of need, he reorganized the caste system, created the Grey Council and formed the legendary Rangers, becoming the first Entil'Zha and, all at once, a religious, military and cultural leader. He is respected by members of all three Minbari castes.

After the great war ended, questions arose about Valen, and where he had come from. He and his family escaped Minbar and went into hiding; their later descendants returned to the Minbari homeworld. As a result, at the time of the series, countless Minbari unknowingly carry some human DNA. Most Minbari have no facial hair, but those few who do may have inherited the gene for facial hair from Valen. Little is known of Valen after he left Minbar. Valen eventually disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Even the circumstances of his death are a mystery, and his body was never recovered.

Season 3

Later in the third season, Sinclair takes the Babylon 4 station (and its advanced weapons and technology) one thousand years back in time to aid the Minbari during the Shadow War, and becomes "The One Who Was" as seen in Minbari prophecy.

Sinclair uses a chrysalis machine that transforms him from a human into a Minbari (a "Minbari not born of Minbari"). With the aid of the Great Machine on Epsilon 3, he travels back in time to greet the Vorlons and Minbari. This creates a link between the two races, as his children and their descendants mingle with other Minbari over the next thousand years. Delenn, a descendant of Valen (and friend to Sinclair in his original life), would later use this same machine to transform herself into a Human/Minbari hybrid (in an attempt to restore the balance between the two races).

Family

The identity of Valen's wife was never revealed on the show, although Kathryn Drennan's novel "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" (which is, according to series creator J. Michael Straczynski, part of official B5 canon) implies that it is Sinclair's lover, Catherine Sakai, who found herself transported into the past (as Sinclair was) and used the chrysalis machine to also become a full Minbari. This is also supported by the comic "In Valen's Name".